Love Serving the Lord - 06/04/12

Dear Family,

All is going good!

Guess who came out of the "bush"? MARK!!!! We are hoping to see some signed marriage papers either today or tomorrow! If so we will be having the sweetest baptism of the century! Nothing better then a family of seven preparing to reach back to Heavenly Father.

Well mom I have baptized two people in the river. It was a good excperience. I dont know if you can see in the back ground of that picture, but there is a big boxite plant. When we are baptizing we have tomake sure they are not dumping their waste into the river. haha

Christine did not come to church so we will see what happens with her maybe for the 16th or the 23rd. My boy Onkar came so he will be going down on the 16th. Mark and Rita and their family came so if married that big family will be going to the river on the 23rd.

Well I guess it is funny story time. One day last week we went to go by this less active family. They were not home, so as we went to leave Elder Moya catches his foot on their water pipe. Water is spraying everywhere and no is home to help us. We and up getting soaked using our man power to get the hose back together. I am a little ticked off at this point and say to Elder Moya, "Gosh, you have to look out where your going." I felt kind of bad as we started up the little hill by their house. not even two steps from where he had kicked the hose Elder Moya had tripped over something and was laying on the ground! haha I almost ended up on the ground next to him from laughing so hard! haha I am sometimes glad to have such a goofy companion to lightin the mood sometimes.

Well thank you for everything you all do for me and the support I recieve. I love serving the Lord. I hope to always be able to serve him. I also hope to have another good week here in Linden.

Love Elder Hartshorn

ONE YEAR!!! - 05/28/12

Dear Family,

 

It was great to hear about your adventure to Yellowstone, it sounded like it was a geat time. It is so crazy to think that a year has alredy passed. It is been one of the best years of my life though. Although being a missionary i not easy and some times it is flatt out hard, I have growen closer to my Heavenly Father. Being on a mission really prepares you for life. It is almost like living a entire mini life with its highs and its lows. it goes through all phases of the Gospel; Faith, Repentance, Baptism(or we could say becoming completely dedicated to the Lord), and Enduring to the end. Each an imortant step in Gods plan for us all, and each an imortant step for all missionaries. I have learned more about Gods plan for us just by the experience of a mission, not even going into the scriptures. I am indeed blessed to be on a mission and hope I can make the most of serving the Lord in the next year.

This week was a much beter week for Elder Moya and I. We have some baptisms comming up in the weeks. Christina for the ninth, Umpkar for the sixteenth, and Rita and her Kids for the twenty third(we do not know if mark will be out of the bush) Their family is all really intrested and excited about the Gospel. I am excited alsofor the success we have been able to find. Elder Moya and I added some fun to the work by adding key words in our contacting like snickerdoodle, Lord of the Rings, stinky fish, Bat man, ext... I think it helped us to feel more relaxed actually haha

I hope everything is going good at home, I have tried to write some e-mails and letters, but am not sure if they got through. I wish you all the best this week, and love you all.

Love Elder Hartshorn

The Path to Happiness - 05/21/12

Dear Family,

I was just thinking back on our conversation we had on Mothers day and I realized I talked about some of the same things I did on Christmas! haha sorry about that. It sounds like everyone is doing good though. That is great!

Things are going good over here also. We had a pretty challenging week. It just seemed like everything fell through. This it was the first time that Elder Moya really had to go through a hard time so it was really discouraging and hard on him.It rained yesterday morning and when it rains it seems like no one wants to come to church. One of the families that we are teaching did not come to church. We still hope to baptize them in the coming weeks. It is really lonely being out here in Linden all by ourselves. It is helping me to focus on having Christ more in my life though.

I am thankful for everything that you do for me. I truly am blessed and so thankful that the Lord allowed me to come on a mission, and to find joy in his Gospel. I know that he will help us if we cry out to him continually. The scriptures show us the path to happiness. If we search the scriptures we will find a new sweetness in our lives. No one can take away from a whiteness of the spirit and I am thankful that I will always know that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, and that no other book can draw us nearer to God. I Love you all and thank you for the support.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Love and Appreciation - 5/15/12

Wow,

It was great to see everyone yesterday! I hope everyone is having a good day today. There really is not mch to say haha but there is no baptisimal fount here so we do them in the Demerara. It was good to hear that everyone is doing good. I wanted to speak some creolese to you but I forgot shoot! Well I just did my last zone leader report for awhile... so I am about out of time. but just want to let you know I really love you all and appercaite the people you are. It would be really hard to do this if I did not have the family that I have. So... everyone keep sticking in there.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Pictures!!!

Peace and Love - 5/7/12

Dear Family,

It sounds like everyone is doing great. Hannah sure is a track star I hope she does it next year in high school. We had a good week. eight investigators came to church! and brother Rico is getting baptized Saturday. We can skype any time so it will probably be after church. Tell everyone hi for me and that I am grateful for all the support. I have lost about twenty pounds. I havent lost any weight for a long time though. I lost it all at the first of my mission. Oh and yes that is someone s house. Pretty sweet huh that bird gave Elder Moya a kiss haha. We are doing well and working with a bunch of families hurray! I dont have much to say today but I love you all and look up to you so much. It will be great to see all of you and hear everything that is happining.

As the Rosta men say "Peace and Love" haha

Love Elder Hartshorn

4/30/12

Dear Family,

The Summers said that they are ready to skype with you so that is good! This week is week five of the transfer so I should know where I am going when I talk to you on Mothers Day. Most likely I will be staying here with Elder Moya. Mark and Rita and their family is doing great there is seven people who live there that will probably be baptized next transfer! I would love to stay and whiteness that. Our investigators are doing great! Rico did not come to church so we are going to see if he can still be baptized on the twelfth. There is a lot of potential here we just got to get people to keep commitments.

Elder Moya is doing good. He is a very nice and loving guy. At the same time he is a little timid. It is very hard to train, everyone says they want to do it, but I would much rather be with someone who knows what they are doing so we could just work. He is progressing though, so that is kind of cool to see. 

I am  glad everything is going great at home and that Nathan found a job. That is pretty cool. Hannah will do great at districts and will win first. haha I wrote Grandma a letter so I hope she gets it sometime this week. How is the stores doing? That is so great that Tyler is going on a mission! That makes my heart swell haha. well thanks mom for the e mail I love you all very much. 

Love Elder Hartshorn